ACADEMICS / FIRST-YEAR ACADEMIC PROGRAMS /
Rising Scholars Program
The Harvard College Rising Scholars Program (RSP) is a year-long program offered to an invited cohort of academically ambitious incoming Harvard College students.
Background video of aerial view of Harvard University and other b roll video of the inside of campus buidlings
The Harvard College Rising Scholars Program (RSP) is a year-long program offered to an invited cohort of academically ambitious incoming Harvard College students. The chance to be a Rising Scholar is only offered to admitted Harvard College students who attended high schools that offered them limited college-level academic enrichment opportunities.
Offered at no cost to participants, it begins with a seven-week intensive academic experience on Harvard’s campus in the summer before the first-year fall that introduces students to Harvard’s academic expectations and helps them to develop their academic voices. The RSP continues to support students throughout their first year at the College with additional cohort-based programming and enhanced advising and funding opportunities for their second summer. Through the RSP, students will receive specialized support and guidance at every level as they contribute actively to Harvard’s living and learning community.
Shortly following their acceptance to Harvard College, students eligible for RSP are invited to participate in the program. They receive a letter from the Dean of the Office of Undergraduate Education and Assistant Dean for First-Year Academic Programs, a detailed informational brochure, profiles on each summer course, and RSP swag.
Academic Excellence
Students will think critically about the world around them, sharpen their writing and math skills, and grow as scholars and young adults.
Community Connections
RSP is about fostering connections: to people, to ideas, and to the Harvard community.
Dynamic Support
RSP supports and guides students as they engage with Harvard at every level, from academics and residential life to campus resources and the community at large.
Academic Excellence
The first summer of the program introduces Rising Scholars to the academic expectations of Harvard College. Students are immersed in a seven-week residential program, the centerpiece of which are two Harvard faculty-taught courses designed to augment skills and enhance math fluency, analytical writing, reading comprehension, and intellectual curiosity. For the Class of 2028 cohort, the two courses offered were Foundations of College Mathematics: Modeling Our World with Functions and Writing: How We Learn, each of which conferred four credits towards an undergraduate degree.
Community Connections
Over the course of the first summer, students are introduced to Harvard and its community. Students develop connections with each other, peers, faculty and staff as they build their network for navigating college and explore the resources Harvard offers. The RSP is designed to position students to successfully draw their network and on resources as they chart their academic path through Harvard College.
Dynamic Support
Over the course of their first year at Harvard, Rising Scholars participate in unique and dedicated programming that helps them chart an academic path about which they can feel passionate and confident. Drawing on the program’s central and guiding principles for academic inclusion, term-time programming focuses on strengthening foundations and building connections.
Each event falls into one or more of the following categories: academic support; networking, connections and mentorship; special access to intellectually engaging opportunities; and/or support in planning for an impactful second summer. In the second summer, all Rising Scholars are guaranteed funding to either participate in faculty-led research or undertake additional coursework for credit as they continue on their intellectual journeys.
Some Term-Time Programming for the Class of 2028 Cohort
“The Future of American Democracy” at The Embrace
Students joined the City of Boston and Profs. Michael Sandel and Brandon Terry for a conversation about the past, present and future of American democracy in the shadow of Boston Common’s monument to Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, then shared a lively discussion over dinner and went home with signed copies of Prof. Sandel’s Democracy’s Discontent.
Exhibiting Forgiveness Movie Screening at AMC Common 19
Students joined Prof. Terry and civil rights activist DeRay Mckesson for a screening of the directorial debut of visual artist Titus Kaphar, then participated in a vibrant post-movie discussion.
Gray Matters: A Biography of Brain Surgery Book Talk at the Harvard Club of Boston
Students traveled to the Harvard Club to listen to a book talk from Theodore H. Schwartz, AB ’87, MD ’93, who recently published a memoir and history of brain surgery; Dr. Schwartz gave an overview of the trajectory of neurosurgery as well as his own journey through his career, then signed copies of his book for each student.
Grow and Leverage Your Harvard Network at the Mignone Center for Career Success
MCS staff led a networking workshop geared towards first-term first-year students, helping them to develop their introductions and familiarizing them with the benefits and etiquette of networking, as well as resources that will help them build their own networks.
Questions about the program?
Contact us at risingscholars@fas.harvard.edu